Kale considered his companions. Rika, with her unstoppable spirit and infectious grin, and Liliana, whose guarded heart was beginning to show glimpses of something softer beneath the steel. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over him. No matter what awaited them at the temple, he knew they’d face it together.

  Liliana’s thoughts, too, drifted to the two beside her. The cracks in the walls she had built over the years felt just a little deeper, but for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel so afraid of them. With Kale and Rika, she didn’t feel quite as alone in the burden she carried.

  Rika, her mind already racing ahead to the possibility of treasure or battle, grinned to herself. If this temple doesn’t have something shiny, I’m filing a formal complaint with the gods. Maybe even demand a divine treasure hunt as compensation—complete with a treasure map and everything. Seriously, what’s a girl gotta do for a little loot around here?

  The trio continued forward, each lost in their own thoughts. As the evening crept in and the sky began to darken, Kale looked around. "We should probably make camp soon."

  Rika nodded, stretching in her saddle. "Good idea. I’m ready for some rest... unless we find something shiny first."

  They veered off the road, moving through the sparse trees and bushes in search of a decent camping spot. Liliana’s head suddenly tilted. “Wait. Something’s off. Quiet. Move silently.”

  Kale and Rika immediately fell into step behind her, their borhounds moving carefully. Liliana searched the area ahead, narrowing on a cluster of figures gathered around a distant campfire.

  Kale leaned closer. “What is it?”

  “Looks like Xeroth’s followers,” Liliana said.

  “You mean free experience?” Rika asked.

  “What should we do?” Kale asked.

  Rika’s face broke into a wide, mischievous grin. “Ohhhhh, I think we should pay them a visit. Can you believe our luck? Now we can be the ones surprising them! It’s fate, guys! It’s a gift from the gods themselves!”

  “We really doing this?” Kale asked.

  Rika nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, absolutely. It would be rude not to. You know how the saying goes—you can’t look a gift cultist in the mouth.”

  Kale stared at her, eyebrows raised. “That’s not a saying… is it?”

  Rika shrugged. “It is now.”

  Liliana’s eyes were still fixed on the group of cultists in the distance. “Rika, I’m fairly certain the gods didn’t send us this ‘gift.’”

  “Semantics,” Rika said, waving a dismissive hand. “They’re here, we’re here. It’s practically destiny.”

  Kale sighed. “And what’s the plan? Charge in and hope for the best?”

  “Exactly!” Rika declared, pulling out her warhammer. “It’s worked so far.”

  “Alright, time for some tactical bravery,” Kale said.

  “That’s the spirit!” Rika laughed.

  As they crept closer to the camp, the flickering firelight illuminated a group of cultists in dark, tattered robes. They were completely unaware of what was coming. Rika’s grin widened as she hefted her warhammer, and Liliana’s eyes glowed faintly, magic rippling in the air around her. Kale unsheathed Misstress of the Enria.

  The three exchanged a glance—no words needed. They knew exactly what to do.

  They surged forward, catching the cultists completely off guard. The first blow came from Rika. She charged headfirst into the camp, Hammer of the Hiwani, raised high. As the warhammer slammed down with a sickening crunch, it unleashed a powerful shockwave, sending several cultists flying through the air like dice thrown by an angry god. The two closest to her crumpled beneath the strike, their bodies completely flattened by the force. Blood sprayed across the fire, and before the others could react, she was already swinging again. Her laughter rang out, light and almost playful. "Didn’t expect that, did you?" she yelled as another cultist was blasted into a tree, the impact disintegrating bones with a horrifying sound.

  The cultists scrambled to react, but the chaos Rika created was only the beginning.

  Kale darted in next, his movements almost a blur, as Mistress of the Enria granted him incredible speed. He weaved through the cultists like a shadow, his sword cutting through them with lethal precision. One cultist barely had time to raise his weapon before Kale sliced through his arm, his blade a streak of silver that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

  With a flick of his wrist, Kale activated Swordcall. Half a dozen blades materialized around him, hovering for just a second before launching toward the men. The summoned swords skewered three enemies at once, their bodies collapsing under the sudden barrage.

  As the remaining cultists scrambled, Kale’s expression hardened. “Let’s make this quick,” he said, raising his hand. He activated Echoing Blades, and from each sword he conjured, spectral duplicates erupted.

  The air hummed as the storm of steel descended upon the cultists. The blades tore through the camp, cutting a chaotic path of destruction. Screams filled the air, abruptly silenced as the ethereal swords ripped through flesh and bone, leaving nothing but broken bodies and crimson-streaked earth in their wake.

  Kale lowered his hand, the summoned weapons dissipating into shimmering fragments. His eyes lingered on the aftermath. “No mercy for those who serve Xeroth.”

  The scene was a gruesome spectacle, fragments of the fallen scattered across the camp as Kale stood amid the carnage, his breathing steady.

  Liliana, her eyes glowing a deep crimson, summoned a torrent of blood magic. In the blink of an eye the blood of fallen cultists surged upward, forming razor-sharp tentacles that lashed out like deadly whips. The tentacles danced through the air, severing heads and limbs in a grotesque rhythm. Their own blood turned against them, the cultists were dismembered in moments, helpless to stop the onslaught. Liliana’s expression remained calm, controlled, though a cold satisfaction gleamed in her eyes.

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  As usual, one cultist tried to run, but Rika caught him mid-sprint. “Oh no you don’t!” she yelled, grabbing him by the neck with one hand and hurling him straight into Kale’s path. Kale didn’t hesitate—his sword cleaved the cultist in two, blood spraying in a wide arc as the body hit the ground with a dull thud.

  Rika swung her warhammer, sending another fanatic flying into the firepit with a crunch. The cultist’s robes caught fire, his screams echoing as he burned alive, the flames licking higher into the night.

  "Think that’s all of them?” Kale asked.

  Liliana turned her head slightly. “Not quite,” she said, as she focused her attention on the blood of the last remaining cultist, who had been hiding, hoping to avoid the slaughter. His blood boiled and erupted from his body in a geyser of red, leaving him nothing but a hollow shell.

  With the cultists annihilated, the group stood together, bloodied and victorious. The air filled with the scent of charred flesh and blood.

  Rika leaned on her hammer, grinning wide. “That felt good. Really good.”

  Kale wiped the blood from his sword, nodding. “I’d say we just returned the favor.”

  Liliana, her eyes dimming back to normal, simply smiled. “We’re just getting started.”

  Kale surveyed the aftermath, shaking his head. “We should probably find a different spot to camp, though.”

  Rika nodded. “Yeah, those guys really thrashed the place. Unbelievable how messy some people are!”

  “Truly inconsiderate,” Liliana said. “No respect for the environment. Cultists these days…”

  “If we’re rating campsites, this one’s getting a solid zero stars,” Kale said.

  Rika grinned. “Agreed. Poor ambience, too much blood, and honestly, the company was terrible.”

  Kale chuckled as they turned away from the scene, ready to find a cleaner, quieter place to rest.

  ***

  After leaving the bloodied camp behind, the trio found a quiet spot deeper in the woods. The area was undisturbed, with a soft patch of grass and a gentle breeze, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just left behind. As they settled in, Kale couldn’t help but glance over at Liliana.

  “What was that last move you used? It looked like his blood was… boiling or something. I’ve never seen you use that before.”

  Liliana laughed. “Kale, you do realize we gained a level during the fight, right?”

  Kale blinked, staring at her. “Uhhh...”

  Rika, already lying down with her arms behind her head, chuckled. “Classic Kale, always the last to know.”

  Kale closed his eyes, focusing on what new skill presented itself, but to his surprise it wasn’t just one. Once again he had to choose.

  [Dual Blade Mastery

  Become proficient in dual-wielding two swords, mastering the art of fighting with a blade in each hand. Your attacks become faster and more unpredictable, allowing you to chain together rapid strikes from multiple angles. While dual-wielding, you gain a bonus to attack speed and precision, making you deadlier in close combat.

  Benefit: High attack speed, versatility in combat, increased precision, faster chains of combos.

  Downside: Splitting focus between two weapons can slightly reduce raw power behind individual strikes.]

  [Phantom Blade

  Summons an ethereal copy of your sword that mirrors your every strike. While wielding a single blade, the phantom sword delivers parallel attacks, striking enemies simultaneously from unexpected angles. The phantom blade can pass through defenses, allowing you to bypass armor and shields with magic. This ability adds offensive power and range, allowing you to strike from multiple directions simultaneously.

  Benefit: Magical, dual-strike capability, bypasses defenses, allows for creative and unpredictable attacks.

  Downside: Phantom blade is temporary, requires stamina to maintain, lacks blocking ability.]

  He thought about the blades he carried—Aeloria’s Promise and Mistress of the Enria. The thought of wielding both of them at once sent a thrill through him.

  He didn’t have the skill to use two swords yet, but the potential was undeniable. Two blades, two symbols of power, two parts of him. Kale opened his eyes, the decision clear. If he could master this skill, he’d be able to use both of his legendary blades together, something he had secretly dreamed of but never thought possible.

  “I choose this path,” he muttered to himself, feeling the knowledge and strength of Dual Blade Mastery settle into place. He pulled out both swords, already imagining the havoc he’d unleash with them working in unison. This was the right choice.

  Kale moved through the quiet camp, both swords in hand, swinging them in exaggerated arcs. With each swipe, he made loud "shhhk, shhhk" sounds with his mouth, mimicking the noise of blades slicing through air. His grin widened as he fully embraced the mock battle.

  Liliana raised an eyebrow, watching him with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment. “Training hard, are we?”

  Kale paused mid-"shhhk," glancing over at her with a sheepish grin. “Just... getting a feel for it. Two swords, you know? Takes some practice.”

  Liliana shook her head. “And I’m sure the sound effects are absolutely crucial to your success.”

  Rika, sprawled nearby, burst into laughter. “No, no, let him keep going! This is the best entertainment we’ve had all day. Look at him go!”

  Kale rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the grin tugging at his lips. The joy of finally wielding both blades together was too great to stop, no matter how ridiculous he might have looked. He resumed his playful battle with another enthusiastic "shhhk, shhhk," fully committed to the act.

  As Kale continued his mock battle, slicing through the air with exaggerated enthusiasm, Rika continued to giggle, clearly enjoying the absurdity of it all. “You know, if all our fights were this easy, we’d have conquered half of Ilvaria by now.”

  Kale spun around dramatically, slashing with both blades, before letting out a triumphant “Shhhk!” and planting the tips of his swords into the ground, striking a heroic pose. “Don’t worry,” he said, “as long as I’m here, no invisible enemies stand a chance.”

  Liliana rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. “Yes, Kale, your mastery of imaginary foes is truly inspiring.”

  Rika sat up from her spot. “Next time we face Xeroth’s forces, maybe you can ‘shhhk’ them into submission.”

  Kale sheathed Aeloria’s Promise and Mistress of the Enria with a flourish. “Laugh all you want,” he said, walking back toward the fire, “but when I’m cutting down enemies with both these beauties at once, you’ll be grateful for all this ‘shhhk’ practice.”

  “We’re grateful already, Kale,” Liliana said. “We’ve been through a lot. And I have a feeling things are only going to get harder.”

  “Yeah... but we’ve also gotten stronger,” Rika said. “Every fight, every step. We’ve come this far, and we’re not stopping now.”

  Kale sat down next to them, his playful demeanor giving way to something more serious. “You’re right. I can feel it too. Whatever’s coming next... it won’t be easy. But we’re ready.”

  The night stretched on in serene stillness, the stars above faintly shimmering, as if distant witnesses to the journey ahead.

  Liliana looked up at the sky. “You think we’ll ever know peace? After all this?”

  Rika shrugged. “Peace? I don’t know. Maybe not the way we imagine it. But maybe... maybe we can carve out a piece of it. For ourselves.”

  “We’ll get there. Somehow,” Kale said.

  For a moment, none of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts—of the battles they’d fought, the ones still to come, and the bond they had forged through it all.

  Rika, grinning again, broke the silence. “But honestly, Kale, do those ‘shhhk shhhk’ noises actually help?”

  Kale grinned back. “It’s the only way to truly become one with your weapon. You should try it.”

  Rika hopped to her feet, grabbed her warhammer, and started swinging it in exaggerated arcs. “Woosh! Woosh!” she shouted, mimicking the sound a massive hammer might make if it could slice through the air.

  Liliana sighed as she watched Rika and Kale, both now fully committed to their imaginary battle, wooshing and shhking away. “Great.”

  Kale laughed. “See? She gets it!”

  Rika, still twirling her hammer, added, “This is it! I’m one with the hammer. The hammer and I are unstoppable!”

  Liliana shook her head, muttering to herself. “I need new friends.”